Immigrant Mother Shares Photographs of The Bond Between Her Children And Their Grandparents As They See Each Other Just Once A Year

We all know how special the bond is between a child and their grandparents. I still speak with my grandmother nearly everyday. Thank goodness for modern technology as I can FaceTime and text with her throughout the day. While we live hundreds of miles apart, I’m still able to connect with her on a personal lever. And when we do get that time together, I feel our bond grow stronger.

I also find it so fascinting to watch my children and the relationship that they’ve formed with their grandparents. Both sides of their grandparents don’t live locally, so it’s through modern technology that we have to stay connected. And when they do get to visit, it’s like no time has passed. The joy that my children get from spending that time with their grandparents is like no other. And watching my parents and in-laws interact with my children is happniess on a whole other level. It’s that joy that maternity, breastfeeding and family photographer Ivette Ivens, wanted to share with her new collection called “Generations”.

Ivette Ivens Generations

Ivens took photographs of her children and parents while they were together. It’s an ode to her family and portrays the genuine bond that grandparents and grandchildren share. “My children see my parents only once a year because they live over the Atlantic in my native Lithuania. My parents are not that young anymore, so every time I see them I wonder how many meetings we have left. It’s a very sad thought but I just can’t help it.”, says Ivens when asked about the inspiration behind her new project. The photographer adds: “I understand that one day they are not gonna be here anymore, and I want to be able to show my children these photographs to remind them of the beautiful moments they shared.”

I recently lost my grandfather just a couple of months ago, and as I prepared my speech for his funeral, I sat and looked through photographs of us together. It was such a healing moment for me to be able to look back at all of the wonderful memories we had together and yet I wished that I’d taken so many more photographs of the time we’d gotten together, especially as I’d gotten older and had children of my own. What a special gift Ivens’ children will have to look back on as they grow into adults. It’s photographs like these that help these memories last forever.

And it’s the loss of her grandparents that inspired Ivens to share these photographs of her children and parents with the world. “One day I asked my mom to bring me photos of my grandparents and I, and she couldn’t find any! My grandparents are deceased now, and all the memories I have of them are in my head, and year after year they are beginning to fade away,” said Ivens. She added, “For some reason we don’t always think to take a lot of pictures with our grandparents. We are used to asking our parents for help, they help us raise our children, and we take it all for granted. The Generations series is an ode to all grandparents.”

Ivette Ivens Generations

And to preserve those memories for both herself and her children, Ivette grabbed her camera and started to photograph the time that they spent together. “I’ve always found beauty in photos that are organic and sincere – when you look at them ten or twenty years from now, no matter how much you’ve changed or where life took you, you can relive that moment and feel exactly what you felt years ago at that exact minute. Children and elders are the perfect subject for these type of photos as they don’t pay attention to me clicking away with my camera which allows me to capture those real genuine moments”, adds Ivens.

And it’s particularly special to be able to photography someone that is so close to her. “It’s just a very calm, warm and comforting feeling. When I was a kid and even a teenager, I didn’t understand what love for your children actually meant. Seeing my children interacting with my parents gives me an opportunity to look back and reflect,” Ivens told Big City Moms.

Ivette Ivens Generations

Ivette Ivens Generations

And does she have a favorite from the series? “I think it’s the one where both of my sons, Dilan and Kevin, are taking a nap with their grandparents. It was a very candid moment, not staged, and I just happened to have a camera in my hand,” she admitted.  “I think the most special thing is that the moments captured in these photographs are candid. Children and adults don’t try to pose, they don’t care what they are wearing, they don’t try to show off their best features, and etc. I love seeing my children and my parents teaching each other, playing and telling stories. It takes me back to my childhood and reminds me of the most important things in life.”

Beautiful and candid moments, indeed.